Free Music Friday: Ólafur Arnalds

Icelandic Multi-Instrumentalist Releases a Week's Worth of "Found Songs"

There must be something in Iceland's water. Somehow the country keeps producing musicians who create wonderful, ambient music that is often as calming and it is moving. Similarly, it seems like every ex-hardcore musician quits the scene and moves onto something more relaxed. Ólafur Arnalds fits into both categories (he opened for fellow ambient Icelanders Sigur Rós in 2009). The Icelandic multi-instrumentalist previously sat behind the kit in the hardcore bands Celestine and the cleverly titled Fighting Shit, but has since moved on to producing and composing more classical based music.

In 2007 Arnalds released the album "Eulogy for Evolution" followed by 2008 EP "Variations of Static". The point of this post though is his 2009 EP, "Found Songs", a project that saw Arnalds create, record and release a song each day for a week. The songs began appearing on his Twitter account on April 13th. The music is an interesting mix of classical and contemporary, with the artist using electronic beats to compliment his wonderful string and piano arrangements; perfect tunes to fall asleep to or through on in the background during a relaxing evening. To date, more than 100,000 people have downloaded the EP from Arnalds' label, Erased Tapes. The album is now available in several physical forms but the label was nice enough to leave "low quality" mp3s of each song for download here.

The album has inspired some original artwork as well. Below, check out the fan-made video for the track "Ljósið", an incredible feat of modern animation by Buenos Aires based graphic artist Esteban Diácono.




RIYL: Classical, Sigur Rós, Amnesiac Era Radiohead, Dreams
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The Internet is full of legal, free music. Every Friday Adjective! Animal! spotlights an artist who has released an EP, album or their full discography for nothing. Please support these artists who give away their music just so it will not go unheard by buying their merchandise or donating when possible. If you have a suggestion for Free Music Friday please email me at adjectiveanimal1@gmail.com.